Srinagar, Sept. 24 -- By Farooq Ahmad Khan

The case for a Saturday and Sunday weekend is easy to make.

Children need hours that belong to neither classroom nor homework, hours to play, read for pleasure, visit relatives and rest. Teachers need a day to prepare lessons and to return to school with energy left.

Deleting Saturday from the timetable, however, removes a day of teaching and puts nothing in its place, and Kashmir's academic year has little room to spare.

Winter vacation and occasional closures for weather already claim a share of the calendar, so children could lose teaching time that cannot be spared.

A five-day week works only when the whole school year is rebuilt around it.

The holiday calendar is the first place to loo...